Windmill.



"PATBNTBD PEB. 1o, .1903. J. 'HENDERSON` WINDMILL.

No. 720,427. Y

APPLICATION FILED JUNI] 2, 1902.

No MoDnL.

TWEE MIUR/Veys. V

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN HENDERSON, OF'MILLGROVE, MISSOURI.

WINDMILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of 'Letters Patent No. 720,427,`datedFebruary 10, 1903. Application ledJ'nne 2, 1902. Serial No. 109,916. (Nomodel.)

To all whom 73 may. concern:

Be it known that I, JoHN HENDERSON, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Millgrove, in the county of Mercer and State of Missouri,have invented a new and 1mproved Windmill, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of my invention is to provi-de a simple and economic form ofwindmill-in which the wings are vertically placed, transiversely curved,and pivoted. at their endsin a circular group, one wing overlapping Vtheother.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide means for limiting themovement of the wings and a governor constituting a portion of the wheeland located within the .circle of wings, which governor regulates thespeed-of the wheel by regulating the extent to which the vwings shallopen, and, furthermore, toV

provide a simple means for stopping the wheel by completely closing thewings one uponthe other.

The invention consists in the novel con` vand pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference in-y 13, as1s best shown 1n Fig. 2, and connectwheel and frame looking downward,and Fig. Y

2 is a vertical section through the wind-wheel and the frame in which itis mounted.

The frame in which the wheel A is mounted consists of corner-posts 10and upper and lower connecting-beams 11 at opposite sides, central andouter bridge-beams 12 at the top of the structure, and a lower centralbeam 13, having suitable 'braces 14, as is shown in Fig. 1. This frameis supported any suitable distance above the ground by braced uprights15. The drive-shaft 16 is journaled at its upper endin bearingsin thecentral bridgebeam 12 and passes loosely through the lower cross-beam13and through a suitable bearing at its lower end. The wheelA is securedto the shaft 16 within the frame j ust described, and this wheelprimarily consists of upper and lower heads 17 and 18 and wings 19,circularly grouped around the shaft and pivoted in the said heads. Thewings 19 are curved in cross-section, their inner faces being concavedand theirouter faces convexed. Each` wing at its top and bottom isprovided nearer its inner longitudinal edge than its outer longitudinaledge with lugs 20, and pivot-rods 21-are passed throughthe said lugsinto the heads 17 and 18 of the' wheel, being provided 'between the endsof` thewinigsand the heads with suitable Washers 22, asis shown in Fig.2. These wings are so grouped that they overlap and may be closedY onewing closely upon the other, thereby concealing the shaft 16 andpreventing the wind from having any action on the wings.

The upper and lower heads of the Wheel A are secured to the shaft 16 byset-screws or their equivalents, and in the bottom head 18 of the wheela series of eccentrically-grouped curved slots 23 is produced, the slotsbeing curved in a reverse direction to the curvature of the wings 19, asis shown in Fig. 1, and the said wings, near their outer edges, crossthe said slots. Each wing 19 is provided with a stud 24, which extendsdown from its lower edge through one of the curved slots 23 in the saidlower head of the wheel.

Just below the lower head 18 of the windwheel a disk-wheel 25 is looselymounted on the said shaft 16 above the lower cross-beam in g-bars 26 arepivotally attached to the lower end of each stud 24: and to pins 27,which extend from the upper face of the wheel 25. A strap-brake 28 ismade to engage with the hub of the Wheel 25, which strap-brake isoperated by a suitable lever 29, fulcrumed upon the lower cross-beam 13,and a rope, chain, or cord 30 is attached to the outer end of this leverand extends down over a suitable pulley 31 to within reach of theground. This wheel 25 is practically a brake-wheel, as when thestrap-brake 28is applied to the said wheel 25 and it is held stationarythe action of the wind upon the open wings will be `-to close the saidwings closely one upon the other, bringing the studs 24 to the innerends of the slots 23 in the lower head 18 of the windwheel; but when thewheel 25 is released from the brake 28 this Wheel is free to turn uponthe shaft 16, and consequently the wind when striking the concaved facesof the wings 19 IOO can force the wings outward until the studs 24;reach the outer ends of the slots 23. The governor holds the wings inposition to catch the wind when the brake is thrown.

In order that the wheel shall not race in high winds, a governor isprovided for said wheel. This governor consists of a disk 32, which issecured to the shaft 16 at the upper head 17 of the wheel, and opposingarms 33, which are pivoted at their upper ends to the said disk 32 andextend downward, one at each side of the shaft 16, for a predetermineddistance, having balls 34 at their lower ends, and near the lower endsof the governor-arms 33 said arms are connected with the shaft 16 bymeans of springs 35, which offer some resistance to the outward movementof the governor-arms, so that the governor will not act except under theinfluence of a high wind.

When the governor-arms 33 are carried outward by centrifugal motion,they cause the wings 19 to partially or completely close throughattaching the governor-arms, near their weighted ends,to the inner facesof opposing wings 19 through the medium of connecting-bars 36, whichbars are pivotally attached tothegovernor-armsand to the wings. Thelever29 is provided with a forked head and is eccentrically pivoted,as isshown in Fig. 1,and the shaft 16, turned by the wind-wheel A, is shownprovided with a beveled gear 37 attached thereto, meshing with a secondbevelgear 38, carried by a shaft 39, by which power is to betransmitted. This wind -wheel is very efficient in operation. It issimple, durable, and economic in construction, and may be almostinstantly stopped upon the application of the brake 28, as has beendescribed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. In a windmill, a shaft, a support for the shaft, awheel secured to the shaft, which wheel consists of upper and lowerheads, the lower head being provided with series of eccentrically-curvedslots, and a series of circularly-grouped Wings pivoted between theircenters and inner edges in the said heads, projections from the wings,extending through the said slots, a controlling-wheel loosely mountedupon the shaft below the wind-wheel,

connecting-rods pivoted to the extensions from the wings and to the saidcontrollingwheel, and a brake for the said wheel, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a windmill, a shaft, a support therefor, a wind-wheel secured tothe shaft, said wind-wheel consisting of upper and lower heads, thelower heads having series of eccentrically-located slots therein, and aseries of wings curved in cross-section, having their inner facesconvexed, which wings are pivoted between their centers and inner edgesat top and bottom to the corresponding heads of the wind-wheel, the saidwings being circularly grouped and arranged to overlap, extensions fromthe outer end portions of the wings,exte'nding through the slots in thelower head of the wind-wheel, a regulating-wheel loosely mounted on saidshaft belenr the Windwheel, connecting-bars pivotally attached to saidregulating-wheel and to said extensions from the wings, and a brake forthe regulating-wheel, substantially as described.

3. In a windmill, a shaft, a support therefor, a wind-wheel secured tothe shaft, said wind-wheel consisting of upper and lower heads, thelower heads having series of eccentrically-located slots therein, and aseries of wings curved in cross-section, having their inner facesconvexed, which wings are pivoted between their centers and inner edgesat top and bottom to the corresponding heads of the wind-wheel, saidwings being circularly grouped and arranged to overlap, extensions fromthe outer end portions of the wings, extending through the slots in thelower head of the wind-wheel, a regulating-wheel loosely mounted on saidshaft below the wind-wheel, connecting-bars pivotall y attached to saidregulating-wheel and to the said extensions from the wings, a brake forthe regulating-wheel, governor-arms pivotally attached to the said shaftwithin the said wind-wheel, and rods connecting the said governor-armswith opposing wings near their inner edges, as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN HENDERSON.

Witnesses:

GEORGE W. On'rn, J. W. BUTcnnn.

IOO

